DIY Going in all directions with these cyclamens

What’s that blooming periscope doing in the room?

This feature piece needs some space, but it’s worth it for what it has to offer: humour, comedy and a display that everyone will want talk about as soon as they walk into the room. Practically-minded folk who want to know how you water this installation in order to be able to enjoy your crazy cyclamens for as long as possible should know that you lower the plants down in bags. When it’s time for a drink, you fish your Cyclamens out, let them soak up water in a bowl, and put them back in their bag. That keeps everything dry and clean, and the abundant hanging leaves means you can’t see the bag at all.

You will need:

Cyclamens in various cheerful colours

Assorted PVC waste pipes and connectors

Hacksaw

1 plank of fairly thick wood

Base panel

Primer/paint in candy colours

Brushes

Roll of thin foam rubber

Sturdy plastic bags

Extra potting soil

How to make it:

Step 1:

Cut the waste pipes into various pieces. Don’t make them too tall, so that the structure remains stable. Saw cylinders out of the wood that fit precisely into the water pipes: you will slide the pipes over these later to keep them firmly upright. Cut the rest of the plank straight to form your base.

Step 2:

Assemble the connectors (screw, click or glue, depending on the type) and paint them in various candy colours. Depending on the material, the paint may adhere better if you prime the pipes first.

Step 3:

Cover the piece of wood that’s going to form your base with thin foam rubber and screw the wooden cylinders on the spots where you want to have the pipes. Place the cyclamens in the plastic bags with some extra potting soil, and lower them into the pipes from the top. Slide the pipes over the wooden cylinders.